Soon
by Maymist
Summary: [Sasusaku. Takes place after Naruto chapter 699] It's been about two years since Sasuke has been gone on his road to redemption journey and during this time technology has thoroughly advanced. What happens when Sasuke somehow obtains Sakura's cell phone number and keeps in contact with her through text messages all throughout his journey? Read to find out.
1. Chapter 1

_"I'll see you soon."_

That scene had replayed in Sakura's mind more than a million times.

It was as if Sasuke had indirectly reciprocated her feelings on that day - but thinking that only made Sakura feel silly and foolish.

She couldn't help thinking that only _sometimes_, though.

His smile, his touch, the sincerity in his voice was all centered towards _her_, and her alone.

When Sasuke had unexpectedly poked her large forehead, she felt her heart soar vigorously and was too stunned for words.

She thought she was in a dream.

There was no way that the man that she has unconditionally loved for so many years was tenderly smiling down at her, poking her forehead, and softly saying such short sentences to her that held such meaning.

_"And thank you..."_

Not only that, he thanked her - _again_.

•*•*• •*•*• •*•*• Soon •*•*• •*•*• •*•*•

"Mmm, Sakura-chan! Eat your ramen before it gets cold!" Naruto goofily lectured his female teammate while stuffing his face with his favorite food.

"Yeah, come on Forehead! Just eat already!" Ino urged somewhat annoyed, but slight concern for her pink-haired friend was detected in the blonde's voice.

Sakura has been hanging out with Ino and Naruto for awhile now at Ichiraku Ramen, but she's been rather quiet tonight around her friends.

Sakura looked down at her bowl of ramen with a blank expression and quietly stated, "Sorry... I just don't have much of an appetite tonight for some reason."

"You always say that!" Ino pointed out frustrated follow by a sigh. "Forehead, you need to eat more, especially if you want to keep warm in this harsh winter! It's already lightly snowing out and it's going to get even colder tonight too!"

Sakura rolled her eyes and scoffed. "Quit exaggerating, Ino. It's not that cold out."

Now Ino was the one to roll her eyes. "There you go again, Sakura. You're slyly changing the subject as usual."

The pinkette avoided eye contact with her blonde haired best friend and simply shrugged. "Think what you want, you just don't want to admit that you're exaggerating about the temperature."

Ino's vein popped and she clenched her right fist. "GRRRRRR! Who the hell cares about the stupid temperature! Why the hell aren't you eating?!"

Naruto frowned. "Yeah, why aren't you, Sakura-chan...?"

Sakura slowly rose from her seat and was quiet for a moment before she both honestly told them, "I already told you both why. What else do you want me to say? I don't want to lie... I'm sorry."

Ino and Naruto both exchanged worried glances, the two not knowing what to say back to her.

Sakura let out a hushed sigh and then flashed Naruto one of her signature fake smiles.

"Naruto, you should give my ramen to Hinata. She is on her way here after all. ... Well, I'm going to head home now. It was nice to spend time with the two of you, I'll see you guys later."

With Sakura saying that, she started to walk away from the ramen stand and that's when Ino cheerfully yelled at her from behind, "Okay, but be careful when walking home, Sakura! You have my number right? Text me when you get home, Forehead!"

Sakura turned her head back slightly to look back at Ino with a playful smirk and she scoffed once again.

"Tch. Of course I'll text you, Ino-Pig."

At that point, Ino got so angry that Naruto had to hold her back.

"WHAT DID YOU SAY BILLBOARD BROW?!"

•*•*• •*•*• •*•*•

Tiny snowflakes slowly made their way down to the ground as Sakura felt the arctic wind rush past her a couple times while the nineteen year old girl was walking home alone in the dark, the moon, stars, and street lights being her only light.

If it wasn't for this big but beautiful red jacket that Sakura was wearing, then she would be freezing to death.

Sakura stopped in the middle of the snowy path to pull out her cell phone so she could text Ino like she said she would.

It has been two years now since Sasuke has the left the village to go on his journey of redemption and during that time technology has really advanced throughout the village, thus explaining her cell phone.

A frown adorned her lips as she looked down at her cell phone with gloomy eyes.

_Sasuke._..

He was the cause of her lack of appetite lately, she just couldn't get him off of her mind.

_She was confused_.

For so many years she had been used to worrying about pulling him out of the darkness and bringing him back home, not even caring if he loved her back or not. Usually every night her heart cried for him and she worried for his safety, she worried if he was still even alive that very second.

She just wanted to save him. She wanted to take away his pain more than anything. She wanted him to be happy, even if she wasn't the reason why he was. She wanted Naruto's suffering to end. She wanted Team Seven happily back together again.

_Now things are different_.

There is a newfound light in Sasuke's eyes that she has never seen before and not only that - he told her that he would see her _soon_.

What is Sasuke's definition of "_soon_" though?

It's been about two years now since he's been gone.

Did his words to her indicate that he wanted her to wait for him?

She had no idea.

Sakura didn't want to get her hopes up by coming up with such conclusions.

Not only was she confused, she was _scared_.

She didn't know what was going to happen.

What will happen if she does wait for him?

There's no guarantee that he will return her feelings, and somehow, if that's the case, she'll be fine with that.

He will be the only one that will ever hold her heart - no matter how much it hurts her.

Even though she knows that Sasuke isn't lingering in the darkness anymore, she still has her worries.

She worries if he's safe out there.

She worries if he really ever will return to the village.

She worries if the darkness will consume his mind again.

And the one thing that scares her the most is... she worries if he's hating himself out there.

See - this is why she wanted to go on his journey with him.

If he got injured, she wanted to be the one who heals his wounds - both the physical and mental.

If he got lonely, she wanted to be the one who keeps him company.

If he got trapped in the darkness again, she wanted to be his light.

More than anything, she just wanted to shower him with her love - something that he is so starved of.

_She just wanted-_

Sakura snapped out of her thoughts when her cell phone began to vibrate in her hands and she looked down to see that an unknown number had sent her a text message.

_Hey_.

Sakura froze and suddenly began to feel tense.

Who could be texting her?

How did someone she didn't know get her number?

...Guess she's going to find out.

**Who is this?**

Sakura waited about a minute before the anonymous person texted her back.

_Sasuke_.

For a moment, she felt her heart almost stop as her beautiful green eyes became wide with utter shock, and then anger soon consumed her.

**Whoever this is, this isn't funny. Sasuke-kun would never get a cell phone, let alone text me. Just please leave me alone. **

Sakura felt the tears start to well up in her eyes as she fiercely struggled to hold them back.

How could someone be so cruel and pretend to be Sasuke?

What kind of sick joke is this?

Getting her hopes up and...

Man, this pissed her off.

How could-

Sakura's thoughts were interrupted when her phone started ringing like crazy and she looked to see that the same unknown number was calling her.

Ever so reluctantly, she accepted the call and shakily said, "H...Hello?"

"_Sakura... It's me."_

She almost dropped her phone when she heard _his_ voice and went into stupendous shock, her even forgetting to breathe for a few seconds.

Her brain was screaming that someone had just transformed into him, imitating his voice, but her heart knew that this was no imitation, that this was the real Sasuke. She especially knew from the way he said her name...

Sakura struggled to make words come out of her mouth. "How... How did you get my number?"

"I asked Naruto for it."

She bit her lip and hesitantly asked, "Wh... Why?"

"Just wanted to keep in contact."

Sakura felt the blood rush to her cheeks at his choice of words and she didn't know what to say back; the pinkette was still in great shock.

"I'll text you tomorrow. Goodnight, Sakura."

He then hung up the phone.

Sakura stood there still entirely stunned as the snowflakes continued to slowly fall and the phone was still pressed to her ear.

She couldn't move.

His voice still sounded the same: serene, mysterious, and suppressing emotion.

She knew how good Sasuke was at hiding his emotions - she didn't know what he was feeling.

Unfortunately for her, she wasn't as good as him at hiding her emotions.

Tears started to cascade down her face as she looked up at the moon.

_Sasuke-kun..._

Author Note: Yay, a new fic! xD I actually randomly thought of this plot last night and a lot of the chapters are already planned out in my head. This story takes place after Naruto manga chapter 699 and after Naruto The Last movie too. Please tell me what you think by reviewing and I'll update when I can, thank you. (:


	2. Chapter 2

Sakura needed answers. She needed to make one hundred percent sure that she was really talking to Sasuke, which is why she was knocking on Naruto's front door right now.

After about five minutes of waiting, Naruto finally opened the door in a green t-shirt and blue boxers, his blond hair an absolute mess.

"Sakura-chan...? What are you doing here so early here in the morning...?" Naruto drowsily asked while letting out a yawn and he was struggling to keep his eyes open. "I was just having the best dream about-"

"It's almost lunch time, Naruto. You should be awake by now..." Sakura muttered in annoyance and she let out a sigh. "If you don't mind, I need to talk to you real quick."

Naruto widened his sapphire blue eyes slightly. "Uh... Sure. What's up?"

Sakura looked at her friend while frowning and was quiet for a moment before nervously asking him, "Naruto... Did... Did you give Sasuke-kun my cell phone number?"

"Huh? ...Oh yeah! Remember when I went on that really long mission with Hinata that lasted for a few days last week? Well, during the mission we ran into the bastard in this one forest! We exchanged numbers and he then asked for yours," Naruto excitedly explained, his cerulean eyes even beautifully shimmering.

Sakura then lightly hit Naruto on the head and angrily yelled, "You idiot! Why the hell didn't you tell me something so important sooner?! I nearly had a heart attack when he texted me yesterday!"

Naruto rubbed his head and now he looked even more tired.

"He told me not to say anything because he wanted to surprise you."

Sakura felt herself inwardly gasp and became unbelievably dumbstruck.

"O-oh... I... Sorry for just now..." she sheepishly apologized while looking down, guilt invading her heart like a relentless plague. "...I overreacted."

"It's okay, your punches don't really hurt that much anymore..." he told her while yawning once again.

Sakura glared at him. "Are you calling me weak?"

Immediately, Naruto's body jumped and he waved his arms around in a frantic manner. "N-NO! Never! You're super strong, Sakura-chan! I-"

Naruto stopped talking when Sakura started to laugh and she told him while smiling, "Relax, I was kidding. For awhile now I've been suppressing my strength when it comes to hitting you, and I hope you appreciate that, you idiot..."

He rubbed the back of his head and laughed nervously. "O-of course I do, Sakura-chan. Thank you... Haha."

Naruto then paused as it looked like he realized something and he asked her ever so cautiously, "Wait, so he texted you? ...What did he say?"

She frowned. "Not much. At first I thought that someone was pranking me, but then Sasuke-kun called me and proved me wrong."

His eyes grew wide. "W-whoa, what? He called you too?! What did he say?!"

Sakura groaned in annoyance. "I already told you, not much..."

The edges of her lips then turned downwards and she avoided eye contact by looking down at the cement. "I... I just didn't think that he would be the type to get a cell phone, let alone send me a message. Do you know why he got one in the first place?"

Naruto scratched his head and was trying his best to remember. "Ermmm... I think I remember him saying something about how since he already made us suffer so much in the past that he didn't want to make the wait for his return even more painful for us, especially for you... so that's why he got one."

Sakura stared at him with her mouth agape, completely speechless, and her cheeks slightly turned the color of cherries.

"O-Oh... He really said all that? I-"

"Hehe... Are you blushing, Sakura-chan?" Naruto then teasingly asked while smirking at her and he flashed her one impish wink.

Instantly, Sakura flinched and anger surged through her, causing her to lightly hit her blond friend on the head once again.

"I-Idiot! I am not!" Sakura denied, but she was also laughing a little bit.

Naruto groaned in pain and he rubbed his head once again. "Ow..."

Now it was Sakura's turn to smirk.

"Soooo... How are you and Hinata?" she playfully asked and added, "You guys have been dating for two weeks now."

In an instant, Naruto's eyes became as large as dinner plates and he frantically yelled, "HINATA?! OH CRAP I HAVE A DATE WITH HER TODAY!"

Sakura giggled as she watched her goofy best friend run back into his house and she crossed her arms while fondly grinning.

"That's what you get for sleeping in, you big knuckle head..."

•*•*• •*•*• •*•*•

Sakura started to feel doubtful when Sasuke hadn't texted her all day, but she figured that he was most likely busy.

Little by little though, a lot of negative thoughts began to bombard her mind.

Did he forget about her?

Was he in trouble?

Has he lost his cell phone?

She didn't know, but in order to distract herself throughout the day, she helped out a lot in the hospital, brutally trained alone in total solitude, and did a bunch of chores around the house.

The pinkette debated whether or not to text him first, but she didn't want to annoy him.

•*•*• •*•*• •*•*•

It was almost midnight now and Sakura was on her bed sitting on her knees. She was looking down at her cell phone that was in her grasp with a somber expression and the moonlight seemed to be the only thing that was comforting her in the darkness.

Just five more minutes.

She would wait five more minutes for him to text her before going to bed.

Another minute went by and her expression only grew more gloomy.

_'I guess he forgot about me...'_ Sakura sadly thought, her heart aching on the inside.

She let out a sigh and mumbled to herself, "Oh well. What was I thinking anyways, that he would actually-"

Sakura's heart jolted when she suddenly felt her phone vibrate in her hands and ever so slowly, she looked down to see that...

Ino had texted her.

_Hey Billboard Brow! You never texted me last night like you said you would! Are you dead? Did you get home okay?_

The disappointment that Sakura felt was beyond unbearable and it took everything in her to not cry.

**Sorry Ino. Something came up last night... I'm okay though. **

_Something came up?! What happened?! _

**I'll tell you another time, I'm going to go to sleep now. Sorry for worrying you. Goodnight. **

Ino didn't respond and Sakura sighed loudly as she laid down on her bed, it now being midnight exactly.

Just when Sakura was about to close her eyes, she felt her phone vibrate.

She inwardly groaned and thought, '_It must be Ino again.' _

To Sakura's surprise, it wasn't Ino this time, but... Sasuke.

_Sakura? _

She stared at the screen for a good five minutes in disbelief and didn't know what to say back... until Sasuke texted her again.

_Did you get my messages? _

His question puzzled her.

**Messages? No...? Were you waiting for me to reply to them all of this time? **

_Just forget about it. Were you sleeping? _

_**No... Don't worry, you didn't wake me, Sasuke-kun. **_

_Are you sure?_

_**Yes, I'm sure. I actually was about to go to sleep, but that all changed when you messaged me. **_

Sakura was tempted to put a smiley face at the end of her message, but she felt like it would be too weird.

_Hn. How are you?_

She blinked repeatedly at seeing him actually put "Hn" and then his question startled her somewhat.

Was Sasuke actually trying to have a casual conversation with her right now?

She couldn't believe this.

However...

His question made her somewhat upset because his absence has caused her to feel so terribly sad lately.

She didn't know what to say back to him.

_**I should be asking you that... How are you? **_

_Answer me first, Sakura._

_**Well, honestly... I've been better. **_

_Naruto told me that you haven't been eating. _

_**I haven't been hungry...**_

_You need to eat. Go eat right now._

Sakura's eyes widened once reading his demanding order and from seeing how worried he was.

_'Geez, why is he acting so protective? It's not like I'm dying or anything...' _Sakura thought while trying to compose herself.

The memory of Sasuke catching her and having his arm around her during the war then entered her mind.

She started blushing hard at remembering how tightly he held her and the intense eye contact that they shared. She wasn't expecting him to catch her at all, let alone look at her like that.

So much for composing herself.

Sakura then shook her head and tried her best to give him a firm but casual reply.

**It's too late to eat right now, but I will eat tomorrow, I promise. So... Why are you still up so late tonight, Sasuke-kun? **

_It doesn't matter. Why are you still up? You should be sleeping. _

Sakura started to blush again and began to feel nervous.

_**I... Well... Do you want the truth? **_

_Why wouldn't I?_

_**I've... kind of been waiting all day for you to text me.**_

_Why? I'm not worth losing sleep over. Don't do it again._

**Don't say that, Sasuke-kun... I don't mind when it comes to you and so... You said that you sent me messages earlier today? I guess there must have been a bad signal or something, because I didn't receive any. I'm sorry.**

_Just drop it. It's not that important, so don't apologize. _

Sakura paused and wasn't sure what to say next.

A part of her was still in disbelief about the fact that she was having an actual conversation with Sasuke, but what were they actually suppose to talk about?

Yes - for years she has been in love with him, but they haven't really had any real conversations or that much quality time with each other unlike most couples or people who fall in love.

Coming to this realization, Sakura began to feel scared.

Just what were they suppose to talk about?

She never thought about it before because she never thought that Sasuke would ever talk to her like this, but now he is.

Gathering up all her courage, Sakura finally decided to ask him a question that she's been so longing to ask him.

**Okay. So... How has your journey been so far? **

_Better than expected_**.**

Sakura felt relief when he said that.

**Really? That's good. I'm glad.**

Sadness then engulfed the pinkette's heart and she frowned.

She ever so badly wanted to ask when he was coming back to the village, when he was coming _home_... but she was too terrified to.

_I'll be looking forward to see you again when the time comes. _

Sakura stared at the screen in undeniable disbelief as her eyes grew wide and mouth became agape. She was beyond shocked and re-read his message about a million times to assure herself that it was real.

Then it happened.

Tears started flowing from out of her eyes and at that very moment, she just wanted him to hold her.

"Sas...Sasuke-kun... I miss you..." Sakura shakily whispered while sobbing and hugging herself, the pain in her voice almost too unbearable for any pair of ears. "So much..."

After about a minute of sobbing, Sakura sniffed while wiping away her tears and she typed back her response while blushing.

**Me too... but I'm sure you probably already knew that. **

_Sakura..._

**...Yeah?**

Her heart started pounding in anticipation towards his next reply.

_...Never mind. Have a good night_.

Sakura was slightly disappointed since she felt like he was holding himself back from saying something, but that didn't stop her from smiling.

**Thanks. You too, Sasuke-kun. Goodnight. (: **

_Get some sleep and don't reply to this... Goodnight. _

Sakura did what she was told and for the first time in a long time, she fell asleep genuinely...

_Smiling_.

Author Note: Thank you for those who have read everything so far, you guys are awesome! XD I'm trying my best to keep everyone in character, especially Sakura. Even though she's my favorite character, writing her dialogue has always been a challenge for me. She's very fickle... XD but that's why I love her, lol! Anyways, please review and tell me your thoughts about this chapter, I would really appreciate it. I'll update when I can... Thanks again (:


	3. Chapter 3

Sakura awoke the next morning to see that Sasuke had already texted her and this shocked her to pieces, but it also made her smile endlessly.

_Good morning. _

**Good morning, Sasuke-kun. (: I just woke up a few minutes ago, sorry I didn't reply sooner. What time did you wake up this morning? **

_Doesn't matter. Go eat something. You promised me you would..._

Her eyes widened when reading the message and she started blushing furiously.

_'Wow, Sasuke-kun is really worried about me, but he's trying his best not to show it by acting a little cold... I guess I could get used to this.' _Sakura thought while smiling a little and she got up from her bed.

She stood in front of the mirror and brushed her short pink hair a bit before she went downstairs into the kitchen in her white buttoned pajamas.

The pinkette then typed out her reply.

**Oh... Okay. I will, don't worry. I'm heading towards the fridge right now**.

_Good. I don't want you getting sick._

Once again, Sasuke's words had caused her cheeks to go on some kind of mad blushing rampage and she stared down at her screen in disbelief, pondering for a few seconds on what to say back.

_'Does Sasuke-kun really care about me this much? I can't believe this...'_ Sakura thought somewhat sadly, but she was still happy nonetheless.

**I don't get sick easily, Sasuke-kun. There's no need to worry like I said.**

_What are you eating? _

Sakura paused since she hadn't even browsed the fridge yet and just when she was about to, her mother, Mebuki Haruno, entered the kitchen and gave her daughter the weirdest look while adjusting her hands onto her hips.

"...Sakura? What are you doing up so early? You're usually sleeping at this time in the morning."

Sakura nervously looked at her mother and felt her cheeks turn bright red like a lobster.

"Oh, I... I was just looking for something to eat."

"Well, you should stop with that. I'll just make you breakfast," Mebuki said simply while smiling at her daughter.

Sakura returned the smile. "Thanks, Mom."

The pinkette then finally replied to Sasuke.

**Nothing yet. My mom just told me that she's going to make me breakfast. **

Sakura then bit her lip and mentally cursed herself for what she just said.

How could she be so insensitive?

By mentioning her mother, Sasuke probably thought of his parents, who are dead...

_What is she making? _

She was a little baffled by his reply, but at the same time she was greatful_. _

**I don't know yet, hopefully something editable. Haha.**

Sakura wanted to face palm herself for making such a cheesy joke and she began to feel nervous about what he must be thinking of her now.

_Whatever. I just want to make sure that you actually eat something._

For the third time this morning, Sakura felt herself insanely blush and with wide eyes she stared down at the screen beyond speechless.

Mebuki then gave her daughter a suspicious look and bombarded her with questions.

"Sakura, who are you texting at this time of morning? And why is your face so red? Do you finally have a boyfriend or something?"

"I-It's no one, Mom! And no I don't!" Sakura defended somewhat annoyed by her mother's antics, but her voice was still shaky.

"So you're just blushing for no reason then? ... Wait. Sakura, are you watching Yaoi again? You know the last time that you got caught you-"

"MOM!" Sakura shouted exasperated while she quickly stormed out of the kitchen in embarrassment and then mumbled, "I'm not into that stuff... _anymore_."

That would be the day that Sasuke finds out that Sakura likes Yaoi.

She remembered that one time where Konohamaru transformed into Sasuke and Sai, and they were-

The pinkette snapped out of her thoughts when her phone abruptly vibrated in her grasp and she looked down to see that Sasuke had texted her again.

_You there? You better be eating_.

Sakura blushed harder as she typed out her message to him.

**Sorry Sasuke-kun, I was just... thinking about something. **

_Thinking about what? _

At this point, Sakura was about to have a nosebleed.

**It... Well, it's nothing important, and... You should go eat something too, Sasuke-kun. (:**

_Not until you eat first. _

Sakura blushed even more at reading his words as the pinkette stood in the hallway and before she could reply, she heard her mother shout at her from within the kitchen.

"Sakura! I'm going to make pancakes! That all right with you?!" Mebuki shouted from the kitchen.

"Yeah Mom!" Sakura loudly shouted back and her attention was then fully directly to her phone once again.

**Don't deprive yourself because of me, Sasuke-kun. If you want to eat, then you should eat. :) My mom is making me pancakes right now, so I'll be eating soon. What do you usually like to eat in the mornings, Sasuke-kun?**

_Tomatoes. _

**Huh? Tomatoes? I wasn't expecting that... Is that your favorite food or something, Sasuke-kun?**

_They're essential to my health and help me work to my full potential, you should eat some too. _

**Oh... Well, when you say it like that, it kind of makes me want to eat some now. I like tomatoes too!**

_Hn. Good. I'll talk to you later. _

**Huh? Oh... You have to go now? Okay, text me whenever you can, and don't worry, I'm about to eat the pancakes right now. It was nice talking to you, Sasuke-kun. (: **

_Likewise. Later._

**Bye. (: **

Sakura smiled happily to herself as she giggled while looking down at her phone and then her mom ruined the moment by shouting...

"SAKURA YOUR PANCAKES ARE BURNING!"

•*•*• •*•*• •*•*•

Sakura decided to go on a walk through the village to sort out her thoughts.

A part of her was mentally scolding herself for feeling too excited about talking to Sasuke. She didn't want to get her hopes up thinking that he liked her romantically just because they were talking now, after all he was probably even texting Naruto too.

Sasuke and her were just friends right now, nothing more.

Every time she thought that though, it felt so _wrong... _defining him as just her friend felt so _wrong_.

He definitely felt more than just a friend even though they weren't even dating, she felt like-

"Sa-ku-ra!~" a playful voice suddenly sang from behind, interrupting the pinkette's thoughts.

She turned around to see none other than Ino smirking at her.

"So, are you going to let me know what happened the other day or not, Forehead? You said that something came up..."

"Oh... I..." Sakura paused at not really knowing what to say and she was blushing, but it was microscopic. "I don't know how to tell you..."

Ino blinked her eyes furiously in confusion. "Huh? Why is that? You know you can tell me anything..."

Sakura gloomily looked at the ground for a few seconds before she replied.

"The other day... Well, I... Sasuke-kun and I have been talking lately."

The blonde's eyes almost shot out of her head at hearing the alarming news. "WHAT? Wait... What do you mean? He's not back in the village, is he?"

Still avoiding Ino's eyes by looking down, Sakura shook her head and answered her friend's question by explaining, "No. When Naruto was on a mission last week, he ran into Sasuke-kun and they exchanged cell phone numbers, and then Sasuke-kun asked for my number, so... We've been texting since then."

"Wow, Sakura... I didn't know..." Ino remarked breathless and then a heartwarming formed across her lips. "This is great. I mean, I would be a little pissed off if I wasn't dating Sai already, but you must be really happy about this, right?"

The beautiful blonde frowned when she saw her pink haired friend shake her head and have an even more pained expression.

"Wait... No? You're not happy about this?"

"I am... But..." Sakura bit her lip and sighed. "It's kind of overwhelming."

Ino raised an eyebrow and inquired, "What do you mean, Billboard Brow?"

Before Sakura could reply, they both heard Hinata's sweet meek voice.

"Ino-chan, Sakura-chan... Good afternoon."

The pinkette and blonde both turned around to see their shy friend.

"Hinata! Guess what?! Sasuke-kun and Sakura just started keeping in contact with each other through texting because Sasuke-kun asked your boyfriend for Sakura's number!" Ino then excitedly blurted out without Sakura's permission.

Hinata's lavender eyes widened for a moment in shock before she went over to Sakura and hugged her.

"This... This is great. Now it's my turn to encourage you, Sakura-chan."

Sakura then broke the hug by pulling away and putting her hands on Hinata's shoulders, the pinkette still depressingly staring down at the ground.

Ino frowned once again and informed her shy friend, "Sorry, Hinata... Apparently Sakura isn't too happy about this. Before you came she said that talking to him was kind of overwhelming her..."

Concern and confusion was written all over Hinata's face. "Over...whelming...?"

Sakura took her hands off of Hinata's shoulders and still was avoiding eye contact with her friends by looking down at the ground.

"I guess I've just been so used to waiting for him all of these years... I didn't think anything like this would happen between us... Now that it is, I don't know how to act... I don't know if Sasuke-kun even has feelings for me, but I don't want to get my hopes up. If anything, I just want to be there for him regardless, but... I'm scared that I'll mess things up."

Hinata and Ino both exchanged worried glances at hearing Sakura's explanation and the cruel pain in her voice.

"Oh Sakura-chan..." Hinata sadly whispered and she put a hand over her heart.

"Did you ask him when he was coming back to the village yet?" Ino then asked while frowning.

Sakura shook her head and quietly mumbled, "No. It's scary..."

"Huh? What do you mean by that?" the blonde asked puzzled and added, "He's already been gone for two years, it wouldn't hurt to ask. I bet he'll be coming home soon."

"But what if he isn't? I'm terrified that he'll say that he doesn't know when he's coming back or if he says he will in another year or in a few more... I don't mind waiting, but even so, I don't know how much more devastation my heart can take..." Sakura quietly revealed with a somewhat shaky voice as her eyes grew watery, but she forced herself to not let any tears fall from them.

A determined expression then overruled Hinata's face and she put both her hands on Sakura's shoulders, the two locking eyes.

"Sakura-chan... If it wasn't for you... I wouldn't even be with Naruto-kun right now... You've encouraged me and have supported me all of this time... I want to do the same for you now. It's your turn to find happiness and love with Sasuke-kun, and I truly believe you will. Ino-chan and I will support you all the way of course too..."

Hinata smiled endearingly at the pinkette and Ino did the same towards her.

Sakura was speechless and before she knew it, a tear rolled down her face as she smiled.

_"Thank you both..." _

Author Note: Thank you to those who read this chapter and who have read and reviewed the previous ones (: Please tell me your thoughts on this chapter by reviewing and I'll update when I can, thank you (:


	4. Chapter 4

It was around eleven o'clock at night when Sakura had finally gotten done with her shift at the hospital and the phenomenal pink haired medial ninja was now walking home by herself as it lightly snowed out.

Sasuke hasn't texted Sakura since this morning and she honestly wasn't expecting him to text her at all tonight either.

Working in the hospital really got her mind off of him, but thoughts of him still lingered in the pinkette's mind from time to time.

Even despite her friend's heartfelt encouragement today earlier, Sakura still felt a tad bit overwhelmed but at the same time she oddly felt numb.

She felt like she was forcing herself to not feel any emotions.

Honestly, she was scared to feel them right now and-

Sakura's phone started vibrating and she looked down at the screen to see that none other than Sasuke had texted her.

_Yo_.

**Good evening, Sasuke-kun.**

_How was your day?_

**Mine was good, thanks. How was yours, Sasuke-kun?**

_Hn. Can't complain._

**Huh? Why's that?**

_Doesn't matter._

_**Oh... All right. **_

Sakura didn't know why, but she was feeling this stinging sadness penetrating her heart. She felt incredibly guilty for feeling this way since her friends had built up her confidence merely hours ago, but now it's all crumbling down again.

_What are you up to?_

**I just got done with my shift at the hospital, so I'm walking home now**.

_You shouldn't be walking alone at this hour. _

**I can protect myself fine, Sasuke-kun.**

_I know._

_**Then why are you saying that?**_

_Because, a lady shouldn't be walking outside alone at night, regardless of how strong she is. It's dangerous. _

Sakura felt herself blushing slightly at his remark but still continued to feel somewhat insulted.

**Please don't doubt my abilities, Sasuke-kun. **

_I don't. You're the strongest woman that I have ever seen, I just don't want some random punk to cause you trouble._

Sakura froze when she read his text message and couldn't believe the words that her eyes were scanning.

Did Sasuke really think she was the strongest woman that he has ever seen?

Was he really this worried about her?

_**Thank you, Sasuke-kun. I really appreciate you saying that, I think you're pretty incredibly strong too, but... I just don't see why anyone would bother with me anyways. There's really nothing to worry about...**_

_Don't you get it? You're pretty. Creeps will just be naturally attracted to you no matter what, that's why I'm telling you all this. _

Sakura's heart practically stopped when she read his message and her mouth went agape in unbelievable shock, her cheeks even turning pinker than her own hair.

_**I... Thank you... **_

_Don't thank me, just stating facts._

_**Well, I'm going to thank you anyways, so thank you... and I'm home now. (:**_

_Hn. Goodnight._

Author Note: Ah, the fluff! XD Short chapter, I know, but thank you for reading and please tell me your thoughts by reviewing and I'll update soon, thank you.(: I have much more in store for this story, don't worry..xD lol. Thank you again (:


	5. Chapter 5

"Sakura? Sakura! It looks like your face is about to fall right into your soup any second now, snap out of it!" Ino fiercely hollered at her pink haired friend, who was sitting right beside the blonde on a red stool, the two both at Ichiraku Ramen.

Sakura quickly snapped out of her daze and jerked her head up. "What? ...Sorry."

The edges of Ino's lips turned downwards, forming a frown full of major concern. "Are you okay? Lady Tsunade says that you've been overworking yourself at the hospital these past few days, that you've even been staying there until one in the morning... Why?"

_Why_. _Why_? She wants to know _why_? Because, the only solution to get Sakura's mind off of Sasuke was to work.

He hasn't texted her in five days, and she has no idea why.

She's done everything in her power to avoid being alone, to avoid any thoughts of him.

Sakura hated the night, she hated trying to go to sleep. _Why_? Because, at night, all her worries, insecurities, and thoughts about him would pour into her mind all at once, and the tears kept her from getting any sleep. It was like pure agony was drenching her poor crippling heart and slowly slicing away at her soul. She hated _this_.

Why was he doing this to her, making her worry like this...?

She tried her best to send him a decent amount of texts without appearing annoying, but he still never responded back to her.

The possibilities of what could of happened were endless in Sakura's mind.

Did he just randomly decide that he didn't care for her anymore?

Did he lose his phone, did it break somehow?

Is he just too busy to not find a single second to text her that he's okay at least?

Then again, he could be hurt or even worse... _dead_.

Sakura inwardly shook her head at the horrifying thought.

How long is this going to last though?

Waiting for him to text her everyday and not knowing if he is or not is just too... _painful _for her. The pinkette even started to think that she was better off when he wasn't texting her at all, and-

"Hellooo? Earth to Sakura?"

Ino's voice instantly snapped Sakura out of her thoughts and she turned to look at her best friend.

A frown began to adorn her lips and her soft, quiet voice was full of undeniable melancholy.

"Sasuke-kun hasn't texted me in five days."

Ino's eyes widened. "_What_?"

"He hasn't texted me in five days..." Sakura repeated while gloomily looking down at her lap and she let out a sigh. "I'm worried. I've tried reaching him, but he hasn't replied at all..."

"Ehh? That's odd. I wouldn't worry about it too much, he's probably just really busy, I'm sure he'll get back to you soon! ...Haha!" Ino cheerfully assured with a fake laugh and smile, her trying to lighten up the mood.

Sakura sighed once more and slyly pulled out her cell phone while thinking, _'Ino doesn't understand... I appreciate her trying to comfort me though at least.'_

The blonde's blue eyes grew wide once seeing that Sakura began pressing multiple buttons on her phone with a fierce and determined expression. "What are you doing?"

Sakura was quiet for a moment before she spoke.

"I'm... I'm doing what needs to be done."

_"What?"_

**Sasuke-kun... Don't text me back until you have arrived back to the village for good. I'm sorry. **

Pain lanced through Sakura as she sadly stared down at the screen and she knew that she was being selfish, but she could hardly stand the harsh torment that was ever so carelessly stomping all over her heart any longer.

Ino gazed at her friend with nothing but concern on her face. '_Sakura_...'

Two voices were then heard from behind them and they turned around to see some girls having a bubbly conversation while walking by the ramen shop.

"Haha! I know! I can't wait for tonight! The Winter Festival is going to be amazing! I can't wait to give my home made chocolates to my boyfriend!"

"Me too! Oh gosh, tonight is going to be super romantic!"

As the girls giggled and finally walked away, a sad smile spread across Ino's lips as she turned to look back at her precious friend.

"Oh yeah... Did you know, Sakura? Today is the Winter Festival, a festival where girls give sweets to the guys they like..."

"I haven't been keeping track of the days lately..." Sakura mumbled dejectedly, her jade eyes averting down to her lap once more.

"I'm giving some chocolates to Sai..." Ino meekly mumbled with much hesitance, but it soon vanished when a certain thought came to her mind and she let out a gasp of happiness. "I know! You should come to the festival with us! It will be fun! There will be games, activities, food; everything! You can go with Sai and I, and then we can meet up with Naruto, Hinata, Shikamaru, Temari, and-"

"No thanks. Surrounded by couples the whole night won't do me any good... It will just let even more unwanted pain slip into my heart, _please understand_..."

Ino's heart nearly broke for Sakura and she didn't know what to say back.

_"O...Okay..." _

•*•*•*•Later that night•*•*•*•

While everyone was dressed up and enjoying themselves at the festival, Sakura was walking by herself to the park as darkness lingered in the sky and snow gracefully fell from it. The arctic wind was rather chilly, but her big red coat that she was wearing managed to make the harsh cold temperature much more bearable.

It was a full moon and almost midnight.

She should be sleeping, but...

Sakura paused when the same bench

that Sasuke had left her on when he was leaving the village came into view and pang of sadness hit her heart hard.

Why was she even here?

Why must she always do such pointless things that will only cause her more pain?

_Why... _

Sakura sighed while turning around and before she could even take a single step to head back home, her cell phone started to vibrate.

She held her breath and froze.

_'Breathe, Sakura. Breathe. It's probably Ino just checking up on you...' _the pinkette assured herself as she took out her cell phone from her coat pocket.

Her emerald eyes widened dangerously when she saw that Sasuke had texted her.

_Behind you._

At that moment, it felt like Sakura's heart had skipped a thousand beats all at once when she had slowly turned around to see non other than... _him_.

_Sasuke_.

He was there, just standing measly a few feet away from her, just like how she confessed her love to him before he left the village that one fateful, tragic but beautiful night.

Her wide eyes were completely fixated on him as the brash icy wind gently danced with her short pink locks.

_"Sakura..."_

_"Sas...Sasuke-kun..."_

Author Note: This chapter was suppose to be way longer, but I thought it was the perfect cliffhanger... Mwhahaha!;D Thank you all so much for the support, please tell me your thoughts by reviewing and thank you so much. See ya!;p


	6. Chapter 6

"You just don't listen, do you? You shouldn't be walking alone at this hour, especially in the cold..."

Even though he was coldly scolding her, his voice somehow was soft and slight worry lurked in it as well.

He was wearing a tattered light brown poncho that concealed most of his whole body and three different colored chain necklaces over it: green, red, and yellow. The Uchiha wore light blue pants, his ankles wrapped in bandages that wrap all the way around his open-toed sandals. Sakura could also see that he was wielding a sword behind his left shoulder, it firmly in place. Sasuke wasn't wearing the navy blue slash that wrapped around his head that had Naruto told her about, but instead his hair remained flatten down, allowing some of his jet black bangs to cover his forehead while his hair in the back remained down, a new hairstyle of his that she wasn't used to, but she liked it a lot. Sasuke wore that same indifferent and mysterious expression on his face. She also noticed that his Sharingan and Rinnegan were activated as well. He looked even more taller, broader, and handsome.

The moonlight definitely did him justice; he was breathtaking as his fair white skin shone beautifully.

Sakura was stunned. She couldn't believe he was _here_. He was finally _here_... She tried to convince herself that this was just merely an illusion, but she knew it wasn't. It was really _him_.

She wanted to cry, but her current overly-shocked state prevented her from doing so.

A few seconds more, and Sakura finally gained enough courage to speak up.

The temperature was so cold that she could even see her own breath as she spoke, and the snow continued to lightly fall.

"Why... Why are you here?" Sakura asked breathlessly, ignoring his previous words.

"Awhile ago I was told about the festival that was taking place today, but it seems I didn't make it in time..." he explained.

Sakura held back a gasp. 'Naruto must have texted him about the festival!' she thought.

Before Sakura could respond to him, Sasuke calmly spoke once again.

"I got all of your messages before, I was just in an area where I had poor signal and I was trying to get here as fast as possible. I'm sorry."

Sakura's mouth went agape at him clarifying on why he didn't respond to her text messages for so long and tears fought to escape her eyes, but she held them back with all her might.

She was ever so cautious with her reply and tried her best to sound calm, but on the inside she was a quivering mess. Truth be told, she had mixed feelings about his explanation.

"...I see. So, you only came to partake in the festival, Sasuke-kun? I wasn't aware you were into those sort of things."

"...It's important to you, right? Hn. Even though I dislike sweets, I'll still accept yours."

Sakura began to flush bright red in the face and was taken aback. "W-what? Mine...?"

"Naruto said you made some, specifically for me, so..."

Her jaw almost dropped to the ground.

"THAT FRIGGIN' BLONDE IDIOT, I'LL KILL HIM! CHA!" Inner Sakura roared menacingly while clenching her fists and punching the air.

"Oh, um," Sakura quietly started as she uncomfortably shifted her eyes around, her avoiding his gaze by looking down. She couldn't just NOT give him something after he came all this way, she didn't want to disappoint him or hurt his feelings. "Umm..."

The pinkette scratched the back of her head, hoping that an idea would just flow to her brain. Sakura stood still as a stone and her face turned pale, it didn't help that she couldn't think properly either since she's been eating and sleeping less due to her massive long hours at the hospital this week. It's like her brain had left her entirely when she needed it the most; how dare it abandon her now!

Sasuke stood in front of her patiently. He wasn't that worried, but her expression clearly told him that she was inwardly struggling.

"Something wrong?" he asked serenely.

"Ww...Wait," Sakura stammered. She placed her hands inside her coat pockets and rummaged through them, hoping to find something for Sasuke. There, she hit upon something, something small, hard and round. She could tell by the touch of it that it was a tiny heart shaped chocolate. Sakura wasn't satisfied. What would he think of her if she gave him that? Well...

"Ta-da!" Sakura exclaimed in sadness as she pulled out the chocolate from her pocket and held it in front of Sasuke.

Sasuke stared down at the chocolate in her hands with an unreadable expression.

The pink haired medic then realized that half of the wrapper of the chocolate was torn off and in that moment she just wanted to die from embarrassment. That chocolate must have been a year old or something! What was she thinking?!

Swallowing her pride, she then put the chocolate back into her pocket and began to frantically explain herself.

"O...Okay. That would probably give you food poisoning, ehehe... ... The truth is... I had no idea that you were coming, so I didn't make any chocolate or sweets at all! I didn't even go to the festival tonight... I'm sorry! And Naruto didn't tell me anything either, so...so! If you want, I can go to the store and make you something right now-"

Sasuke grabbed Sakura's wrist as she was turning and about to walk the other direction, causing her to froze and feel her face grow hot due to his touch.

"Don't. That won't be necessary."

Sakura felt herself breathe shakily as she slowly turned around to face him and they locked eyes as he slyly let go of her wrist. Just when did he get so close to her?

"I have a better idea. There's still something you can give me..." he nonchalantly stated, his handsome voice making her heart wildly gallop, and she felt herself inwardly jump when he gently placed his hand on the back of her head while starting to slowly lean into her. "Close your eyes."

Ever so hesitantly, Sakura did as commanded and closed her eyes. It was pitch black for Sakura as she couldn't see anything and she could feel Sasuke's cold, but refreshing breath caress her face. He was starting to grow to close and her heart started thumping. What was he just planning to do anyways? Sakura was confused. She-

Sakura almost let out a gasp when he started to gently stroke her pink hair from behind, his fingers entwining with the strands slightly.

_'Is... Is Sasuke-kun petting me?!' _Sakura thought beyond flustered and her heart wouldn't stop fluttering due to his touch, but her eyes remained close and she started having a mini panic attack on the inside_. 'He's... He's touching me so fondly, tenderly! Bu-but... Why?!' _

Even though the temperature was below zero at the moment, Sakura could feel the sudden warmth as Sasuke's face drew closer to hers. _'Is... Is Sasuke-kun going to...? No, he wouldn't...'_ Sakura thought nervously, her heart pounding in anticipation. She could feel Sasuke's slow breaths, the icy white smoke colliding into her face multiple times as his face kept drawing closer to hers, and her heart wildly shivered to the touch as if on command every time.

Sakura felt overwhelming tension between the two of them and her heart did a tiny jump when she felt Sasuke suddenly paused, their faces just merely inches apart, and he whispered her name.

_"Sakura..." _

All of a sudden, Sakura's legs gave away without warning and she started to fall backwards, but Sasuke instinctively pulled her to his chest by securely wrapping his arm around her back. Sakura let out a shaky gasp as she tightly clutched onto his cloak and began to feel dizzy, her forehead starting to feel hot. Her vision was growing foggy and she struggled to keep her eyes open as the pinkette's head was firmly pressing onto his chest. He was so warm.

"Sorry... Sasuke-kun..." Sakura whispered weakly, a tiny cough escaping her lips.

For a brief moment, Sasuke then felt her forehead and it was scorching hot.

He then resumed to holding her and she clutched even tighter onto him, trying to steady herself.

_"_You have a fever_. I'll take you home."_

Author Note: Ooh, what will happen?;D hehe. Thank you all so much again, I have nothing really else to say but please tell me your thoughts by reviewing and thank you for reading! ;p


	7. Chapter 7

"Sorry Sasuke-kun..." Sakura apologized once again in a faint whisper and added, "I've been carelessly overworking myself lately..."

_"You haven't been sleeping." _

It wasn't a question but a mere statement, and Sakura was at a loss for words. He sounded angry.

She snuggled her head more thoroughly into his chest to gain some more warmth and began ponder about what to say back to him. It's true that she's been working overnight shifts at the hospital, but what really prevented her from sleeping was _him_. _Sasuke_... He was the soul reason on why she has only been receiving three hours of sleep every night, because her worrisome thoughts of him and the aching pain in her heart kept her up, but she would never let him know that...

Breaking the silence, Sasuke then caught Sakura off guard by asking her a question.

"Can you walk?"

"I... I think so..." Sakura answered uncertainly as she carefully backed away from Sasuke and turned around so her back was now facing him.

With her body slightly shaking, Sakura took a step forward and abruptly stumbled backwards, causing Sasuke to catch her almost immediately from behind, his hand on her left shoulder helping her firmly stand upright.

Sakura felt embarrassed. She didn't want him to see her in such a weak, vulnerable state. '_I've used up too much chakra during my shifts at the hospital today and I'm also overly sleep deprived as well... How embarrassing...' _the pinkette thought tiredly, but her heart was pounding hard due to his touch.

_"Hold onto my arm." _

Sakura felt herself jump at his sudden command and she slightly moved her head to gaze up at him, the two locking eyes.

"What... What for?" she nervously asked, her cheeks starting to turn the same color as her hair.

"So you don't fall when I walk you home."

At that moment, it felt like Sakura's heart had almost catapulted out of her chest when he said those very words and she stood there beyond breathless.

"O-Oh..." Sakura finally managed to say after a few seconds of silence, her heart fluttering.

Sasuke let go of her shoulder as she turned around to face him and looked at him nervously. She then slowly clenched onto his left arm and felt a warm fuzzy feeling ambush her heart, allowing a small smile to dance on the pinkette's lips.

"Hold on tighter."

Sakura was shocked by his abrupt order, but said nothing and only complied. She clenched onto his arm more tightly and even caught Sasuke off guard by firmly resting her head on his arm, but he suppressed his true emotions as usual.

Saying no more, the two began to slowly walk as Sasuke made sure that his pace wasn't too fast for Sakura, him being extra cautious.

The two walked in silence the entire time, not uttering a word.

Sakura's heart felt like it was about to burst out of her chest at any moment and she was incredibly bright red in the face. She was both nervous and anxious. Millions of thoughts were racing through her head and she couldn't believe how physically close they were, his warmth was just so ethereal. The two of them just being like this seemed like a heavenly dream to her, but it was all _real_.

They didn't encounter any people on their way to the Haruno Household since mostly everyone was too busy attending the festival taking place tonight and Sakura was somewhat grateful for that. If anyone were to see them like this right now, then they would automatically think that the two of them were a couple. Sakura blushed at the thought.

_"We're here."_

Sakura looked up to see that they were indeed standing in front of her apartment and she started to feel a little more anxious. Sasuke has never been inside her apartment before...

She assumed that her parents weren't home since they had both mentioned to her earlier that they were attending the festival tonight.

"I have a key..." the pinkette mumbled as she retrieved the said item from her coat pocket and the two slowly walked up to the door, Sakura still clenched onto Sasuke's arm.

The apartment was dim when they entered and they slowly made their way upstairs, heading to Sakura's room.

Sakura began to feel her heart pound relentlessly as they advanced further down the hallway. She was beyond nervous, maybe even terrified is a better word. They were going to be alone in her room, just the two of them. All alone. _Alone_...

The pinkette held her breath for a moment as they both finally entered her bedroom and the lights were off but the moonlight creeping in from the window slightly illuminated the room.

Sasuke guided Sakura toward her bed and gently helped her sit down on it, her legs were still a bit wobbly. It didn't help that she still had a fever and felt somewhat dizzy.

Sakura opened her mouth wanting to say something as she innocently stared up at him while he stood in front of her, but Sasuke spoke instead, his voice cold and harsh.

"Don't bother wasting your breath. Get some rest. _Goodnight_..."

As he turned around to walk out of the room, Sakura panicked and frantically said without thinking, "W-Wait! Sasuke-kun! Do... Do you have a place to stay the night? You could... You could stay here... _If you want_..."

Sakura stared at him while frowning and her cheeks were the same color as a flamingo.

She then realized that what she just said sounded somewhat perverted, and she panicked once again while blushing up a storm.

"I-I mean...! N-Not in the bed with me, I-I meant-"

_"I'll sleep on the floor." _

Author Note: Nothing much to say here other than thank you for reading this far, and to please review;) thank youuuuuuuuu. Hehe.


	8. Chapter 8

Sakura had not anticipated for those words to escape Sasuke's mouth at all. She stood there stunned and couldn't move, until she saw Sasuke narrow his eyes.

"Something wrong?" he calmly inquired.

"Oh, n-no… Just… Let me get you a blanket and pillow then…" Sakura shyly stammered while averting her eyes away from him, her face growing tremendously hot.

Sasuke said nothing as he watched Sakura carefully get up and struggle to walk over toward the closet. Her heart wouldn't stop going pitter-patter and it seemed that her fever was only increasing now. She walked by Sasuke and stood in front of the closet door. Her head was starting to spin as she opened the door slightly and gripped it. She started shaking somewhat as her vision grew foggy.

Just as Sakura reached out her arm to grab a lavender color blanket on the top shelf of the closet, she abruptly felt herself losing balance and was falling backwards into midair.

Stopping her fall, Sasuke agilely appeared behind Sakura without making a sound and caught the pinkette by putting his arm around her, which only reminded her of what happened during the war once again.

Silence filled the room as Sakura slowly looked up at him and their eyes met as his arm still protectively remained around her. They stared at each other for what only seemed like a few moments, but to them it felt like an eternity.

Sakura felt her heart pounding even harder with each beat as she struggled to keep her eyes open and the more she stared up at him, the weaker she felt. Her face was burning up, but not just because of her fever... Maybe her being sick wasn't so bad?

"Sorry… Sasuke-kun…" she whispered before lightly fainting onto his chest.

-The next morning-

Sakura awoke neatly tucked in her bed as the sunlight stung her eyes and she felt a white cloth placed neatly on her forehead. Perplexed, she took off the cloth as she sat up and looked to her side to see a pillow and purple blanket lying on the floor next to her bed. She stared at the floor for a few moments in a daze, until she realized that Sasuke had slept on the floor last night in her room and that he was now gone… She almost screamed as the blood rapidly rushed to her cheeks.

Panicking, she dashed out of her room and down the stairs, and came to a halt when she saw Sasuke nonchalantly washing his hands in the kitchen sink. Her mom was also standing right by him, a big smile plastered onto her face.

Faintly panting, Sakura calmed down and saw that her mother had now noticed her presence.

"Oh, Sakura! I'm glad that you're awake! Your Sasuke friend told me you were sick and that he took care of you while your Father and I were gone! He just ate the breakfast that I made him!" Sakura's mom excitedly explained.

Sakura just stood there in shock and couldn't believe that her mom had actually made Sasuke breakfast, and that he was actually still here…

Sasuke then calmly turned toward her mother and bowed in a polite manner.

"Thank you for the hospitality."

The pink haired medic's mouth opened slightly in utter shock at hearing him thank her mom. She totally wasn't expecting that at all.

"Oh, anytime! You don't need to thank me! Thank YOU for taking care of my little Sakura!" Mebuki loudly announced in a jolly voice and she did a tiny twirl.

Sakura glared at her mom for calling her 'little' but her anger soon vanished once hearing Sasuke's next words.

"No problem. Your daughter is precious to me."

Sakura's mouth opened in undeniable shock and she felt her heart stop for a moment. Did Sasuke really just say that?

Her mother then said the unexpected.

"Oh yeah… Sakura, your yaio poster came in the mail five days ago! Are you going to take it already or what?!"

The pinkette's face immediately turned a thousand different shades of red from both anger and embarrassment. She couldn't believe that her mom had just said that… especially in front of Sasuke out of all people!

"M-MOM!"

Sasuke, who was looking as aloof as ever, slightly raised an eyebrow and mumbled to himself, "Yaio? Hn… Never heard of it."

"I-It's nothing! Don't worry about it!" Sakura frantically told him as she was waving her hands around, her cheeks a blushing mess.

"CHAAA! DAMN IT! IF SASUKE WATCHES YAIO HE'LL PROBABLY TURN GAY FOR NARUTO OR SOMETHING! I CAN'T HAVE THAT! NO, NO, NO, NO!" Inner Sakura yelled ferociously while punching the air nonstop in an absolute state of panic.

Sasuke then let out a sigh and stated as he was placidly approaching the door, "I've got to get going. Thank you again."

Concern and fear easily made it's way to Sakura's face as soon as she heard him say that, and she briskly followed him out of the house.

"Sasuke-kun, wait!" Sakura yelled frantically, immense desperation in her voice.

The two stood on her doorstep and Sasuke was looking at her with an unreadable expression, now waiting for her to speak.

"Are you… Are you really leaving the village again?" Sakura sadly asked with a frown.

"There's still something that I have to take care of. I'll be back soon."

As sadness still lingered on her face, she also furrowed her brow in slight anger. "And what do you mean by 'soon'? How long is 'soon' going to be?! I… I don't know how much longer I can wait, I-"

The words stopped flowing out of her mouth as soon as Sasuke began to gently wipe away tears that were coming out of her emerald green eyes. She didn't even realize that she was crying.

"Don't cry."

For a second Sakura froze in shock by hearing his calm order, but then she shook her head as she looked away from him and her eyes got even more watery.

"I just… I just don't get why I can't go with you." Her voice was trembling with pain. "I don't want you to be alone out there, I really don't… Sasuke-kun, I-"

"I said it before… You have nothing to do with my sins."

She looked up at him in complete shock and was at a loss for words as they stared into each other's eyes. The pinkette didn't really understand what that statement meant, but for some reason it sure did make her heart thump.

She frowned and felt herself blushing. "T-Thanks?"

Sasuke then caught Sakura off guard by letting out a small laugh as he tried not to smile and just like that one time before, he poked her forehead.

Sakura felt her heart almost launch out of her chest due to his mere touch and the icy wind started to grow stronger as she widened her eyes. What he said next had shocked her to pieces entirely. She was breathless.

"_Sakura… Wait for me." _

And just like that, he had vanished.

Sakura stood there as still as a stone, her cheeks as pink as a flamingo, and she felt like that idiot Naruto.

"What… What did he mean by that?"

Author Note: Sorry for the delay, but please tell me what you think by reviewing and I'll update when I can!:D thank you;3


End file.
